


A Strange and Impossible Visit

by Panic_CelestialInk



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Incredible Hulk (Cartoon 1996)
Genre: Apologies, Arguments, Battle, Blood and Injury, Established Relationship, Forehead Kisses, Major Character Injury, Other, Pre-Relationship, Recovery, Surgery, Tea, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24438880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panic_CelestialInk/pseuds/Panic_CelestialInk
Summary: As Lan Fan got closer, the snarls and yelps grew louder, until she burst through the trees into a clearing.She took in the scene in a split second. A woman, at least as tall as Major Alex Louis Armstrong, with vibrant green skin and forest-green hair, stood in the middle of the clearing, her fists held up in a fighting stance. Her clothes—an odd combination of shorts and a small shirt—were covered in blood . . . .
Relationships: Doctor Strange/She Hulk, Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Greed/Lan Fan, Greed/Lan Fan/Ling Yao, Jennifer Walters/Stephen Strange, Ling Yao/Lan Fan, Mei Chan | May Chang & Lan Fan, Mei Chan | May Chang/Alphonse Elric, Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang, Stephen Strange & Cloak of Levitation
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	A Strange and Impossible Visit

**Author's Note:**

> This has been an idea that has been playing around in my head for a while now--a way to have my two ships, Doctor Strange/She Hulk and Greelingfan interact. But, how really stumped me for a long time. I went through various ideas, from Greeling appearing in Stephen's house, to Stephen visiting the Xingese Imperial Palace, before settling on this. 
> 
> I was planning to have this done by my birthday, but life, the pandemic and story writing problems got in the way. 
> 
> Still, I'm very happy with how this turned out, so please let me know what you think. This was originally meant to be a multi-chapter story, so if anyone would like me to expand on this, please let me know.

Lan Fan couldn’t sleep; the pain from her automail port felt like a dozen knives were digging into her flesh. She turned over and gasped as a fresh wave of agony rolled through her. She took several deep breaths and waited for it to pass. As soon as it faded to a dull ache, she gingerly sat up and pushed aside her blankets. Then, she crossed the room to the dressing table. Her room in Winry’s house was as familiar to her as the rooms she used in the Imperial Palace and she didn’t need the dim moonlight peeping in from the window to find her way around. Lan Fan glanced at jars lined up neatly on the table and selected one. The scents of peppermint and ginger wafted into the air as soon as she unscrewed the lid. She scooped a little of the cream onto her fingertips and rubbed it into the swollen flesh around the automail port. She hissed as her shoulder protested the touch, but after a few moments, cool relief seeped through her and she let out a sigh.

_The automail probably wouldn’t hurt this much if I’d stayed out of the fight,_ she thought as memories welled up inside her mind. _But that wasn’t really an option._

_Lan Fan gritted her teeth as her feet pounded the ground beneath her. She ran faster. The smell of moist earth and damp foliage filled her nose with each pant. The world was dark around her, but her footing was certain. She could sense the tree trunks whizzing past as she ran faster and faster. She dodged the braches reaching across her path, and the roots jutting out from the ground. In addition to the plants, her sense of qi identified a number of animals scurrying through the dense undergrowth and bats flitting through the trees high above her. She tried to focus her mind on her running and thrust aside all other thoughts. Especially those of Ling and Greed. Those two impossible, infuriating men! How dare they yell at her for attending to her own damn automail? So what if she did arrange to have it adjusted when they weren’t around—she had every right to adjust her automail when she wanted and if she didn’t feel like having them see her in pain then—_

_“Get back you bastards!”_

_Lan Fan skidded to a halt. Who the hell was in the forest so late at night? She pressed herself into the trunk of the nearest tree and brought her hands up into a defensive position, ignoring the pain in shoulder. An errant flicker of moonlight glinted off her automail. It was the one weapon she always had on hand, though she remembered that she also had flash bombs and three kunai in her pockets. She cautiously sent out her sense of qi and started. There were multiple qis gathered over to her left. Most of them were sharp and prickly, tainted with bloodlust. There were only two that didn’t have that taint. One qi sparked and sputtered with worry. And the other was powerful . . . it reminded Lan Fan of Father’s or Hohenheim’s, but nowhere near as rancid or twisted. But even as she felt it, she realised that its power was fading fast._

_She strained her ears and heard snarling, the crack of breaking bones and a torrent of angry curses. It sounded like the speaker was a woman. Lan Fan bit her lip. There were dozens of qis and her shoulder ached. She was in no condition for a sustained fight. The intelligent thing to do would be to sneak off, find help and then come back._

_“No, you don’t!”_

_There came a sound of a huge blow and wood splintering. She made her decision and charged forward—towards the noises. As she got closer, the snarls and yelps grew louder, until she burst through the trees into a clearing. She took in the scene in a split second. A woman, at least as tall as Major Alex Louis Armstrong, with vibrant green skin and forest-green hair, stood in the middle of the clearing, her fists held up in a fighting stance. Her clothes—an odd combination of shorts and a small shirt—were covered in blood._

_The woman was surrounded by_ dogs? _At least, they seemed to be dogs, though Lan Fan had never seen dogs that large or dogs that had such oversized fangs and claws. Two of the beasts lunged at the woman and she reacted, smashing her fist into the skull of the first and grabbing the second one around the throat. It thrashed, its talons raking across the woman’s skin without penetrating. She tossed it into a third creature who’d tried slinking closer._

_“You’re not getting him, so don’t even think about it,” the woman said, cracking her knuckles as her gaze travelled over the monsters._

_The monsters snarled and Lan Fan’s eyes fixed on the creature with the bashed skull. As she watched, the corpse twitched and righted itself. Blood seeped down its muzzle from the wound. Then, its flesh knit itself together, healing the wound as it got to its feet. Her stomach dropped as she noticed that the other injured creatures were healing as well._

These things can heal? There’s no way that we could. . . . wait . . . Him?

_Then, Lan Fan noticed the man . . . he lay with his back against one of the trees with his hands pressed to his stomach. Blood seeped from between his fingers, staining his blue tunic and dripping onto the ground beside him. Each breath seemed like a battle for him—and Lan Fan realised he was the source of the powerful qi she’d sensed. Hovering over him was a vermillion cloak. She stared for a second. It was a cloak flying by itself through the air, with no one wearing it. It reminded her of something, but before she could place it, another group of monsters charged forward. The woman lashed out, sending the first flying. She kicked the second one aside and threw the third one right of out of the clearing. The cloak darted through the air and wrapped itself around one of the creatures. It bucked and writhed, trying to free itself from the folds of fabric. But, the cloak held on tight. Then, Lan Fan noticed there was another creature that managed to sneak past the woman and closed in on the injured man._

_Lan Fan leapt forward, snapping open the blade hidden in her automail. She slashed downwards as she landed ontop of the creature. She’d intended to decapitate it, but the creature dodged and instead she left a deep gash in its side. It turned; its golden eyes fixed on her and lunged. She twisted and brought her blade up and across its throat. It slumped, but she didn’t have time to recover as another two creatures attacked. She dodged left, kicking hard into the beast’s ribs. It stumbled away and she did an elbow strike for the other creature, gazing its flesh. She avoided the one creature’s talons, but it seemed to infuriate them. The beasts became frantic, snapping and slashing at her so fast it was all she could do to keep ahead of them. Then, she saw an opening as one of the creatures reared up._

_She lunged forward and slashed its belly just as its paws slammed down on her shoulders. Pain exploded inside her and she fell to her knees. She heard the other creature beside her, and twisted to try and defend herself. Instead, a green fist smashed into the creature and sent it flying._

_“You all right?” The woman asked as she helped Lan Fan to her feet._

_Lan Fan tried not to wince from the pain in her shoulder._

_“I’m fine.”_

_“Good. I’m Jennifer, by the way.”_

_“I’m Lan Fan. And what are these creatures here?”_

_“Hellhounds.”_

_Lan Fan looked at Jennifer, but she didn’t seem to be joking. Her eyes were fixed on the hellhounds around them and Lan Fan followed suit. The monsters prowled closer even as they healed. Jennifer cracked her knuckles._

_“These creatures are starting to make me angry,” she muttered. “Pity we don’t have fire.”_

_“Pardon.”_

_“Fire can kill these things.”_

_The hellhounds charged forward and the women fell back into the rhythm of the fight. Lan Fan leapt back, avoiding the teeth of one of the creatures._

We can’t keep fighting these things, _she thought._ We need to kill them. We need fire.

Fire . . .

_She reached into her pocket and grabbed one of the flash bombs. She wished she had a real bomb on her, but those were tucked inside a drawer at Winry’s home. She hauled the bomb out of her pocket, yanked out the pin and flung it into the air. A moment later, the sky blazed with blinding light. Ling and Greed knew that signal—she would just have to hope they saw it. And that they brought along the others when they came to her._

_Lan Fan landed and dodged left as the hellhound’s jaws scythed through the air. She leapt back, and then ducked in close. She did a reverse elbow strike and drove her blade through the creature’s skull. Immediately, another hellhound jumped forward to take its place. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of the monsters tackle the woman, bringing her to her knees. One of the hellhounds latched onto Jennifer’s neck, and started shaking its head back and forth in an attempt to tear out her throat._

_The cloak flew forward, hauling one of the hellhounds away. Lan Fan charged forward, dodging around the snarling hounds. One or two of them managed to land glancing blows, but it didn’t slow her down. She crossed the clearing in seconds and stabbed the creature with its jaws Jennifer’s throat with her automail blade. The blade bit deep, but pain shot through her shoulder. Her vision swam and her knees nearly buckled. She forced herself to stay on her feet and yanked her blade free. She stabbed again and again until the creature went limp. She stabbed another creature, and smashed her foot into the side of another’s head. It blinked, stunned and Jennifer wrenched herself free._

_Lan Fan took down another hellhound and went flying as a paw slammed into her side. She tumbled across the ground and rolled back onto her feet. The hellhound snarled and stepped forward. Its golden eyes fixed on her as it growled. She noticed another creature moving over to her left. The first lunged and she wasn’t quite fast enough. Its claws bit deep and Lan Fan cried out. She tried to move, but it had her pinned. The other hellhound slashed at her—and hit a figure that jumped between them. Her eyes widened—she knew that figure. The talons, the thick grey skin and the vibrant red lines running along the sculpted torso—it was Greed—or, maybe Ling. It was hard to tell sometimes since they shared a body_

_Greed/Ling snarled and slashed upwards with their claws. The creature collapsed and a second later, they stabbed the creature holding Lan Fan in place. The hellhound shrieked and Lan Fan felt hot blood splatter her skin. She pulled herself free as she drew her kunai. Her automail was throbbing. Another stab with its blade and she’d probably pass out from the pain._

_“Are you all right?” they said and Lan Fan recognised Ling’s voice._

_“Yes.”_

_Ling held out a clawed hand and helped her to her feet. She held their hand a moment longer than was necessary, but neither Ling nor Greed protested._

_Then, one of the hellhounds snapped at them, forcing them apart. It twisted, trying to bite Ling, but he dodged and rammed their claws through its head._

_“_ _What are these things?” he asked._

_“Hellhounds,” she replied. “ And, be careful, they heal.”_

_As she spoke, one of the monsters she’d stabbed earlier attacked, completely recovered from its wounds._

_“That’s wonderful,” Ling said sarcastically._

_Lan Fan ignored them as she sidestepped the hellhound’s attack. She slashed at its side, her kunai tearing into its flesh as Ling finished it off by stabbing it through the chest with their talons. she glanced around, but the woman was wrestling with two other hellhounds and didn’t seem to have noticed Ling, Greed or their UltimateShield._

_“You need to hide the Ultimate Shield,” she snapped as she used her kunai to slash another one of the hellhound’s throats. “There are strangers here.”_

_Ling shrugged. “There’s too much chaos for anyone to see.”_

_Then, his face shifted and Greed grinned at her. “Anyway, Toots, don’t you think the Ultimate Shield makes us look sexy?”_

_Lan Fan blushed but was spared from answering that question as more of the creatures attacked._

_She tried to duck under the talons, but wasn’t quite quick enough. She bit back a scream as the claws caught her side. She brought her kunai up, but before she could strike, the ground beneath her feet rumbled and Lan Fan saw the earth ripple and twist. Suddenly dozens of spikes shot up from the earth, impaling the creatures._

_“Here’s the cavalry,” Ling muttered, having apparently taken back control._

_Three figures jumped into the fray. The first was Ed, wielding a metal gauntlet with a short sword extending from the wrist. He rammed the blade into the first hellhound, jumped as the second tried to bite him and then used its back to leap forward and stab the third. Right behind Ed was Roy. Lan Fan almost didn’t recognise him without the military coat. He clapped, slapped the ground and another wave of spikes surged forward. The beasts dodged, avoiding some of the spikes and lunged towards Roy. The air filled with the sound of gunfire and each of them fell to the ground. Riza pushed aside an errant strand of her blonde hair as she stepped into the clearing. Like Roy, she was civilian clothes, but there was nothing civilian about her bearing or the shotguns in her hands._

_“Be careful, Colonel,” she snapped._

_“Of course, Lieutenant,” he replied._

_A hellhound leapt forward and would have bit him, had Riza not shot it._

_“_ _I’m serious, Colonel. Watch your back.”_

_“That’s your job, Lieutenant. And, no one does it better.”_

_Lan Fan saw Riza’s lips twitch. She took aim again and her bullets took out more of the creatures._

_Then, the battle disintegrated into chaos. Hellhound after hellhound attacked and she lost track of how many she took out only for them to heal and return to the fight. In the background, there was yelling and swearing and snarling, but she tried to block it out and focus only on avoiding claws and attacking. Something moved in the corner of her eye and she twisted to look. One of the beasts had managed to sneak up on Ling and Greed. She saw it gather itself and leap towards them. Lan Fan didn’t think. She launched herself forward, colliding with the creature in mid-air. Pain shot through her as her shoulder reacted to the impact. Black spots shot across her vision as she screamed. She tumbled with the hellhound as it slashed at her. She ducked her head to keep it from reaching her throat. She gritted her teeth as its claws nicked her injured shoulder. She drew her kunai across its belly and winced as blood spurted over her. The monster howled and a second slash silenced it._

_She rolled away from its corpse and wiped her face. Then, a clawed hand landed onto her uninjured shoulder and she looked up into Greed’s furious eyes._

_“Toots, what do you think you’re doing?!” he demanded._

_“I’m protecting you two,” she said as she climbed to her feet._

_Her legs felt like water and her shoulder throbbed. Greed gently cupped her elbow to steady her._

_“Toots, we’ve got an Ultimate Shield and you don’t. And you’re injured, so damnit, don’t do stupid things.”_

_“It’s not stupid._

_“Lovebirds, argue later, help now!” Ed yelled at them as he wrestled with one of the hellhounds. He stabbed it in the legs, crippling it and leapt into the next battle._

_“How are we supposed to help if these things don’t die?” Greed demanded. Then, he fixed his eyes on the woman and yelled. “Hey, Evergreen? Flying Dishrag? Do either of you know how these things can be killed and stay dead?”_

_Jennifer glared at him and retorted. “Fire. Thor said they can only be killed by fire.”_

_“Great, so, Fireball, how about turning these things into charcoal?”_

_“I left my ignition gloves at the house!”_

What?

_Lan Fan stared at him and, sure enough, there were no gloves on Roy’s hands. She wanted to strangle him and, from the look in Riza’s eyes, she felt the same._

_“Now, you’re useless even when it’s not raining!” Ed yelled._

_Roy glared at Ed but a monster jumped between them._

_“I can still do flame alchemy, I just need a spark,” Roy retorted as he kicked the hellhound away from him._

_Then, Lan Fan noticed something. The injured man was shifting, trying to sit up taller. The cloak surged through the air and helped pull him upright. As soon he was straighter, he raised his hand. He made strange gestures and light flickered around his fingers._

_“_ _Flame of Arnor,” he gasped._

_Fire exploded from his palm and floated into the air in front of him. He slumped and would have fallen had the cloak not taken his weight._

_“Colonel!” Riza yelled as she spotted the fire._

_Roy saw the flames. He slammed his palms together. The flames swelled, twisting into blazing torrents. They hurtled upwards and then dove towards the ground. Each on slammed into a hellhound and the air filled with smoke, the smell of burning flesh and seared fur. She shielded her eyes and stepped back from the intense heat. She could hear shrieks and snarls as the hellhounds burnt._

_“Stephen! Stephen! Come on, Dr Peculiar, don’t die.”_

_Lan Fan’s eyes snapped towards the voices. Jennifer knelt over the injured man as the cloak hovered anxiously beside them. Tears trickled from her eyes and dripped onto his face_

_The man’s lips quirked. “Jen . . .” He raised a shaking hand and brushed one of the tears away. Jennifer grabbed his hand in hers._

_“Don’t die . . .” her voice cracked. “I’ll kick your ass if you die.”_

_Lan Fan hadn’t realised she’d moved until she placed a hand on Jennifer’s shoulder._

_“There’s a house, not too far from here, where there are surgeons and healers,” Lan Fan said quickly, “They can help him.”_

_Jennifer’s gaze hardened. “Show me where,” she said as she slid her hands beneath him and scooped him into her arms._

Lan Fan took a deep breath to centre herself. It was strange how the smell of antiseptic and blood lingered in the air. Even now, hours after the surgery, their sharp scents filled her nostrils. Or, maybe she was just more attuned to things like that. According to Mei, the surgery had been very difficult. The man’s injuries had been serious and varied. But neither Winry, Mei, nor Al had given up. They’d worked for hours, using mix of ordinary medical procedures and alkahestry to save him. Once he was stable, they’d moved him to one of the adjacent recovery rooms. The woman and the floating cloak had joined him there and settled in.

Whilst the man had been in surgery, the woman introduced herself. She said that her name was Jennifer Walters and her companion was Doctor Stephen Strange. She explained that the two of them had been in a battle in another dimension and had accidently teleported to Amestris. Roy and Ed had started interrogating her until Riza very firmly told them that they could talk later. As she had been reloading her guns at the time, they fell silent and they all left Jennifer and the cloak alone with Stephen. As Lan Fan had left the room, she’d looked back and saw Jennifer seated on the chair beside Stephen, looking like she was carrying the weight of the world on her green shoulders.

The image reminded her of her Grandfather. Right after her own automail surgery, she’d contracted a terrible fever and had been bedridden for days. She couldn’t remember much, other than Grandfather sitting beside her, with her legs folded in a lotus position and sipping tea. Once she’d recovered her automail surgeons had told her that Grandfather had refused to leave her side entirely — not even to eat or rest.

She pushed aside the memories and sent out her sense of qi. She ignored the familiar qis in the house and focused on Jennifer’s and Stephen’s. Jennifer’s qi was still as agitated as it had been earlier, but Stephen’s qi was steadier. Not too strong, but steady.

_That’s a relief._

Lan Fan straightened and stretched. Her body protested the movement as she felt the bruises and scrapes throb. Her shoulder ached, but nowhere near as badly. She pulled open the drawer, grabbed one of the kunai and tucked it into her pocket. She didn’t think that there were any of those hellhounds left, but it never hurt to be careful. She considered taking the bombs she had, but decided against it. If the hellhounds did appear, Roy could easily burn them. And, she didn’t think Winry would appreciate her blowing holes in her house.

She moved quietly across the room, through the door and into the corridor. The wood felt cool beneath her bare feet. The corridor was dark, like the rest of the house, but there were still glimmers of lights coming from some of the doors in the house. Her sharp ears picked up the sounds of voices from the other rooms. The voices near her belonged to Roy and Riza. Winry had placed those two in a room on the same floor as her, Greed and Ling. Ed and Winry’s room was on the ground floor, near the surgeries. Al and Mei had been placed on the middle floor. Winry had given them the rooms ages ago, when they’d first visited the house and—according to Ed—she kept them ready in case anyone decided to visit the Elrics.

Lan Fan tilted her head. Other than the low conversation between Roy and Riza, she could hear other voices were coming from the floor below her. She headed down the stairs and paused as she reached the bottom. She could see light coming from the crack beneath one of the doors—specifically the door to Al’s room. She reached out with her sense of qi and her eyebrows rose. She quickly ducked into one of the empty rooms and pulled the door until it was almost shut. A moment later, the door opened and Mei stepped out. Her braids were coming unravelled and her nightgown was untied. Xiao Mei perched on her shoulder as per usual. Al looked equally bedraggled, with his hair sticking up in all directions and his nightshirt unbuttoned.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Al asked Mei.

“Yes. I’m fine, now. Thanks.” Xiao Mei chirruped her agreement.

“It’s always a pleasure,” Al said.

Then, as if he couldn’t stop himself, he reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered on her skin as she blushed. Then, she stepped forward and dusted her lips lightly across his cheek. He turned as red as Mei and rubbed his cheek, looking slightly awestruck. Their eyes locked and the two of them leant towards each other . . . .

Lan Fan wasn’t sure what would have happened next, but Xiao Mei let out a protesting chitter from her perch on Mei’s shoulder as she glared at Al. The two of them sprang apart, going even redder.

“Sorry Xiao Mei,” hey chorused.

Mei stroked the panda’s ears reassuringly. Xiao Mei let out another chitter, but nuzzled Mei’s cheek, apparently accepting the apology.

Mei smiled at Al and said “Good night, my sweet Alphonse.”

“Sleep well, Princess,” Al said.

The two of them stood there awkwardly for a moment until Al reluctantly closed the door. Mei stood outside his room. She reached up, letting her fingers linger on the doorframe for a moment. She let out a wistful sigh. Then, she straightened her shoulders, turned away and headed towards her room.

As Mei walked past Lan Fan’s hiding place, Lan Fan pulled open the door and asked “What are you doing, Princess?”

Mei jumped, drawing a kunai from inside her robe. Lan Fan dodged the strike and fell back into a defensive stance. Then, the two women stared at each other for a moment as Mei recognised her.

“Don’t do that. You scared me. And, I’ve told you to call me “Mei”,” she said as she tucked the kunai back into her robe.

Lan Fan pressed her hands together and bowed in apology. As she straightened, she let her eyes linger on Mei’s dishevelled hair and clothing. Mei flushed and tried to neaten herself up. Xiao Mei attempted to help by tucking away errant strands of Mei’s hair.

Lan Fan waited for Mei to finish before she continued, “I don’t think either Ling or Greed would like what happened here. I believe that Ling would be furious—and Greed too—if they found out that you and Al were—”

“We weren’t doing anything!” Mei snapped. “Alphonse respects me too much to ever try anything and I would never tarnish the honour of my Clan in that way.”

“Then, why were you in his room?”

Mei didn’t answer. She wrapped her arms around herself and her shoulders shook, almost dislodging Xiao Mei.

“Mei?”

She looked closer and saw tears brimming in Mei’s eyes. Xiao Mei chittered in alarm and frantically tried to comfort Mei as the tears fell.

Lan Fan reacted without thinking. She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman and held her close. She felt Mei shuddering against her as she dissolved into quiet sobs.

“I thought I was going to lose him.” She mumbled between her tears. “There was so much blood . . . so much damage to his body. Shattered bones; punctured lungs; his large intestine was torn and spilt the waste into his abdomen . . . and that’s not all of it.” Her voice trembled, but she kept going. “Every time I close my eyes, I see his mangled body. I—I just—I just didn’t want to be alone. I heard Alphonse in his room, so I thought . . . maybe he didn’t want to be alone either. I wasn’t looking for . . . I just wanted to sit with someone and talk a little.”

She tightened her grip on Mei. “I understand. And, I won’t mention this to Ling or Greed. But . . . ” Lan Fan hesitated. “If you ever feel like that, wake me. I’ll make some tea and we can sit together, if you’d like?”

Mei pulled away a little so she could look into Lan Fan’s face. “Do you mean that?”

“Of course.”

Mei’s grin lit up her entire face and Xiao Mei chittered in approval. She stepped back and wiped her eyes.

“Are you all right, Mei?”

She nodded. “I’ll be fine. I just needed . . . ”

“I understand. Try to get some sleep . . . you’ve had a long day.”

“We’ve all had a long day,” Mei said. “But, I’m not going to argue with you . . . and, speaking of arguments, have you spoken to Greed and Ling since your argument?”

She winced and Mei sighed. She folded her arms and Xiao Mei did the same.

“You’re going to have to speak to them sooner or later.”

“What do I even say to them?”

“An apology would be a good place to start.”

Lan Fan gritted her teeth. “Why should I have to apologise? I didn’t do anything wrong. It’s my automail . . . so isn’t it _my_ choice when I have the automail adjusted?”

“Yes . . . but you deliberately went behind their back and arranged to have your automail adjusted when they weren’t there. You lied to them.”

Lan Fan pressed her lips together and didn’t say anything. She hadn’t wanted to lie to them . . . she just didn’t want them there when she was sprawled on a surgeon’s table and screaming as Winry worked.

“Why did you do that?” Mei asked, gently.

“I-I’m supposed to be their guard. I take care of them, not the other way around.”

“Uh-huh. I thought you three were more than just guard and Emperor?”

“We are!” She couldn’t help blushing as she said it.

“Then maybe you should act like it, sometimes? You know, let them take care of you for a change.”

“I can manage by myself.”

Mei shook her head. “You are so stubborn . . .”

Lan Fan was sorely tempted to retort that she wasn’t the only one, but Grandfather had repeatedly instructed her not to argue with royalty—and to pick her battles carefully. So, instead, she pressed her palms together and bowed.

Mei bowed back. “Thank you . . . and thank you for not telling Greed and Ling.”

“You’re welcome.”

She gave a small wave, with Xiao Mei mimicking the gesture, and disappeared down the corridor. Lan Fan waited a moment for Mei to slip into her room. Once she was sure that Mei was settled, Lan Fan headed down the stairs towards the kitchen.

She paused at the doorway as she took in the room. It was so different from the kitchens at the Imperial Palace in Xing, with their constant bustle of servants and chefs, the cacophony of voices shouting and the clatter and rattle of cutlery and crockery. Winry’s kitchen, in contrast, was silent as the moonlight gleamed off the polished wooden counters and the tiled floor. She could see Winry’s taste in everything, from the checkered table cloth, to the bowls of fruit scattered about, to the wooden spice racks hanging on the walls. The only thing Lan Fan was certain that Ed had bought was the large, gleaming percolator squatting on one of the countertops. It was probably the ugliest thing Lan Fan had ever seen—and thus matched Ed’s taste in appliances.

To her surprise, there was someone else in the kitchen. Ling—or maybe it was Greed that was in control of their joint body—stood at the counter. Their dark hair was loose and fell in a thick curtain over their shoulders and their eyes were closed, though from the twitching eyelids, Lan Fan guessed that they were deep in an internal conversation. They shifted a little and she was momentarily distracted by the pull of muscles in their bare chest. Her pulse quickened and she swallowed hard. 

“Your Majesty?”

They stiffened and opened their eyes slightly. In that moment, she confirmed that it was Ling in control of their body. They stared at each other for a long moment.

“Lan Fan,” Ling said, neutrally. “Why are you awake so late?”

“I’m making some tea. For the lady—Jennifer. I thought that she could use it.”

“Uh-huh. And your inability to sleep has nothing to do with the pain in your shoulder, am I right?”

She resisted the urge to touch her throbbing shoulder. “I’m fine,” she said.

Ling snorted and raised an eyebrow. “You’re lying—again. I can see that you’re favouring your right side. Hell, even Greed can see it and he’s hardly the most . . . “ Ling paused and tilted his head. “Oh, shut up, you know I’m right. . . . I must _what?_ Why don’t you just . . .”

Lan Fan ignored them—she was used to their one-sided conversations. Mei’s voice echoed in her head. She took a deep breath.

“I didn’t mean to lie to you.”

Their attention snapped back to her.

“So, you _accidentally_ arranged to have your automail adjusted while we weren’t here?”

“No, but—“

“Then, it’s a lie, Toots,” Greed’s voice burst from Ling’s mouth as he took control. He folded their arms and gave her an assessing look. “And, you know that we don’t like lies.”

Lan Fan narrowed her eyes. “You’re one to talk.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re the one who lied to Ling on the Promised Day.”

“That doesn’t—all right, I admit she has a point. Now, will you shut up, you little pissant and—”

“And what?” Ling demanded as he snatched back control. “I’m handling this.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am. We agreed—”

“Screw the agreement.”

“Shut up!” Ling snarled as their body shuddered while they fought for control. “I don’t need your help, Greed. I can handle this.”

When they straightened, Lan Fan saw that Ling was firmly in control once again.

He looked at Lan Fan and steepled their fingers.

“Lan Fan, why did you lie to us?”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just didn’t want to worry you.”

“Worry us?”

“Yes. You have other things to think about and you don’t need me adding to that.”

Ling let out a long-suffering sigh. “Lan Fan, I—we—love you. Yes, Greed, I’m saying it. Don’t start with your complaining. We love you, and that means we’re going to worry about you. When you don’t tell us what’s going on, it just makes us worry more.” 

Lan Fan looked away. Her eyes travelled down to her automail arm. The dim light of the kitchen glinted off the metal digits and the studs on the leather wrappings.

_You could probably escape if you’d simply abandon the injured girl. She’s just excess baggage at this point._

Wrath’s voice in her memories sounded exactly the same, even after all these years. She took a shuddering breath and clenched her automail fist. “I just don’t want to be a burden to you.”

Ling gave her a confused look. “A burden? What do you. . .” realisation dawned across his face, but before he could react, Greed snatched control and snarled. “He called her _what?!”_

His eyes fixed on her. “Tell me you’re not still focusing on what my asshole brother said to you, Toots?”

She swallowed hard. Her throat suddenly felt tight.

He swore. A moment later, he’d pulled their Ultimate Shield over their hands and he flexed their talons. “Now I really wish I’d had a chance to gut him. Toots, you can’t let that asshole get to you.”

“. . . he was _right._ I spent the battle dangling over Ling’s shoulder, when I was meant to be the one protecting him. I was . . . useless and—”

Suddenly, their arms wrapped tightly around her and she could feel the tips of their talons gently touching her back. She pressed her face into their neck. To her horror, there was wetness in her eyes. She moved her arms, intending to pull away, only instead her traitor fingers curled, pulling them closer.

“Don’t you fucking dare finish that sentence, Toots.” Their lips brushed her earlobe as he spoke. “You’re not fucking useless. You’re the most powerful, most badass woman I’ve ever known—and you know that’s one hundred percent true. Oh, and Ling agrees. Though he adds that you’re also amazing at . . . pretty much everything. I’m not going to repeat the whole bloody list.”

Lan Fan snorted and felt her cheeks growing warm. She inhaled deeply, enjoying their unique scent and the feel of their warmth. They stayed like that for several minutes, with them occasionally kissing her head on her temple, until she felt ready to let them go.

“You all right there, Toots?” Greed asked as they pulled apart.

“Yes. I think so.”

“Good.”

“I’m sorry, again.”

He tilted their head as he thought. Then, he leant forward and kissed her on the forehead. Twice. She guessed one of the kisses was Ling’s doing. 

“I guess we’ll forgive you,” he said as he pulled away. “But don’t do that again. Coming back and hearing your screams . . .” he shuddered and trailed off.

“I won’t.”

She moved away from them and flicked on the kettle. Then, she went to one of the cabinets. Inside was the teapot she’d given to Winry years ago for Christmas, along with the four handless cups. The teapot was carefully painted with the four sacred Xingese animals, and similar paintings decorated the cups themselves. She took them out and raised an eyebrow as they held out a tray for her.

“Ling?”

“Yeah. I reminded Greed that it’s my day and he handed over control.”

“Ah,” she took the tray from them. “Thank you.”

She arranged the tea pot on the tray and then went back to the cupboards. She rummaged around, wondering how Winry allowed Ed to keep so many biscuits and sweets, until she found the wooden box she’d brought with her. She held it up with a smirk as she straightened. The box was rather plain with just a few golden Xingese _kanji_ painted on the wood.

Ling frowned. “Lan Fan, is that . . .?”

“From the Jasmine Dragon? Yes.”

“You brought that all the way from Xing?”

“Yes.”

Ling shook their head, but there was a fond smile on their face. She popped open the catch and the scent of jasmine, chamomile and lemongrass filled her nostrils. She inhaled deeply, feeling warmth grow in her chest. She spooned a little of the mixture into the teapot.

“Hold on . . . is that Fu’s favourite blend?”

Lan Fan nodded as she added water to the teapot. The three of them stood in silence as the tea drew. Once it was done, Ling quickly put the teapot and cups onto the tray and picked it up.

“What are you doing?”

“Your arm’s sore, so we’ll carry this for you.”

There was something in his voice that told her that she shouldn’t argue with him.

“All right.”

The three of them left the kitchen and head towards the recovery rooms. As they walked, memories simmered in her mind.

_Surgical scrubs. Blood. Scalpels._ She reached up and gripped her automail port. _Stitches. Antiseptic. Pain._ Her breath stuttered. _Infection. Fever._ Her mouth went dry.

“Are you all right?” Ling asked softly as they reached the door.

“Yes . . . just memories.”

“Of Wrath?”

“No.” At his questioning glance, she added, “of my automail surgery.”

“Ah.” He looked away, frowned and then a shudder passed through them.

“I’m sorry, Toots,” Greed said.

“For what?”

“It’s my fault, kinda, that you had to go through that alone.” His mouth twisted as he spoke. “If I’d realised what my old man was about sooner, Ling and I could have been there for you.”

She reached out and gave their shoulder a squeeze. “Greed, I don’t blame you for that.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Well, I did at the time, but not any more.”

“Why not?”

“Because I know you now. Back then, you were just the monster who stole Ling’s body. And now you’re—”

“The sexy bastard who stole your heart?”

“Something like that . . . though you only got half my heart. Ling’s got the other half.”

“Damn you, Stephen, you idiot.” Jennifer’s voice interrupted them as they reached the recovery room. Lan Fan glanced at the bottom of the door and saw dim light coming from the gap. As she watched, shadows moved inside—she guessed that either the cloak or Jennifer were moving around.

“Why the hell did you jump in the way of the blast? You know I’m a Hulk—I’m indestructible and invulnerable. I would have been fine . . .”

“Now, why does that sound familiar?” Greed asked with a meaningful look at Lan Fan.

She blushed, but before she could retort, the door swung open. She started a little as she caught sight of the empty cloak floating in the air. It tiled its collars and seemed to be considering them carefully.

“We brought some tea,” she said as she gestured to the tray in Greed’s hands. “I thought it might help.”

The cloak twisted, almost as if checking on Jennifer, then nodded. As Greed stepped forward, the cloak flicked out its hem, striking him firmly across the cheek.

“Ouch!” he yelped and jerked back, but thankfully he didn’t drop the tray. Or spill the tea.

The cloak made an angry gesture, clearly showing that Greed was not welcome.

“Come on. . . you’re not still mad about the flying dishrag comment?”

The cloak folded its edges, which Lan Fan took as a “yes”.

“Look you ridiculous excuse for a doormat, I—”

“Greed, why don’t you try and get some sleep?” she intervened before he could cause a real argument. “I’ll deliver the tea,” she said.

She took the tray from him, and felt her shoulder twinge at the weight. Still, it was a weight she could manage . . . for a little.

“You sure, Toots?”

She nodded and Greed said “All right. I’m not in the mood to argue with a ridiculous possessed blanket.”

The cloak tried to smack him again, but he ducked. He pulled the Ultimate Shield over their arms and flexed their claws.

“Careful . . . you don’t want me to shred you.”

The cloak twisted as though daring him to try.

“Greed!” Lan Fan glared at him and he held up their hands in surrender.

“All right . . . sorry. Sweet dreams, Toots.”

“Sleep well.” She bowed to them and Greed grinned at her and gave a lazy wave as they went back up the stairs. 

Lan Fan stepped into the room and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dimness. Like the rest of the house, the room was warm, cosy and filled with sturdy wooden furniture. In the centre was a large bed, covered with thick blankets and it was currently occupied by Stephen. A cold quiver went down her spine as she looked at him. Bruises and cuts littered his grey skin. Thankfully, the blankets hid most of the injuries, though she could see the bandages peeping out from beneath them. His one arm lay ontop of the blankets and Jennifer’s hand was intertwined with his.

Lan Fan noted that his hands were covered with a number of scars, but they were too old to have come from the recent battle. She wondered what had caused those injuries. As she contemplated the man, her eyes moved to Jennifer, who was seated on one of the two plush chairs alongside the bed. Jennifer’s eyes were fixed on Stephen, so Lan Fan cleared her throat loudly. She started and looked at Lan Fan.

“What . . .”

“I brought tea.” She held up the tray as she spoke.

“Oh . . . thank you.”

Lan Fan set down the tray on the dressing table and quickly poured a cup for Jennifer. After a moment of hesitation, she poured a cup for the cloak, and then one for herself. She picked up the one cup—the one with the tortoise on it—and held it out to the cloak. The cloak started and its collars twitched. It gently took the cup from Lan Fan and nodded its thanks. She fought the urge to laugh. The cloak’s behaviour reminded her of a guest who didn’t particularly want a beverage, but was too polite to say no.

She took the other two cups and went over to Jennifer. She held out the cup and Jennifer took it gratefully. Lan Fan gestured at the chair next to her.

“Do you mind if I . . .”

Jennifer shrugged. “Be my guest.”

Lan Fan slipped into the chair and took a sip of the tea. As usual, the familiar flavours filled her with warmth. Jennifer brought the cup up and inhaled deeply. “This smells amazing. What is it?”

“It’s one of my favourite tea blends,” Lan Fan said quietly.

Jennifer took a sip and her eyes widened. “This is delicious. It’s got chamomile, but I can’t recognise the other stuff.”

“The owner of the tea shop, Iroh, calls it his secret blend. His shop is the most popular in Xing.”

“I can see why . . .” Jennifer paused “Is Xing a different country to this one?”

“Yes, this is Amestris. Xing is to the east of here.”

“And, you’re from Xing?”

“Yes. Myself, Mei and Ling are from Xing. The others are all from Amestris.”

A gleam came into Jennifer’s eyes. “Ling . . . he’s the one who has an impressive, indestructible skin and talons. And who talks to himself using different voices.”

_Damn them. I told them to be careful when they used their Ultimate Shield!_

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lan Fan said sharply as her fingers curled into fists.

Jennifer smirked and took another sip of her tea. “Don’t play dumb with me. I saw you two during the fight. And, I heard you call him both “Greed” and “Ling.”

Lan Fan pressed her lips together and gave her a look.

“It’s a secret . . . it could endanger his life if I told you.”

“ . . . I understand. I’m not going to tell anyone. You have my word on that.””

Jennifer took another sip of tea and her eyes went back to Stephen. She squeezed his arm slightly and placed her empty cup down next to her. For a long moment, there was no sound other than Stephen’s laboured breathing.

Then, Jennifer said. “Thank you.”

“Pardon?”

“Thank you . . . for helping me get Stephen medical attention. If you hadn’t been there . . .” she trailed off, and Lan Fan thought that she could see tears shimmering in her eyes. Before Lan Fan could decide how to respond, Jennifer quickly wiped her eyes. “Anyway, thank you.”

Lan Fan set her cup down and pressed her palms together. “It was my pleasure.”

“You should get to sleep. It’s late.”

“So should you.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Jennifer’s voice was hard as marble and her grip on Stephen tightened slightly.

Lan Fan thought for a moment. “Then, do you mind if I remain here for a while?”

Jennifer blinked. After a long pause, she said “I’d appreciate that.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this story. It certainly was lot of fun to write--especially the interactions between Jennifer and Lan Fan and the Cloak and Greed. I also enjoyed writing my ships, particularly Greelingfan, which I haven't written in a while
> 
> As always, feedback is greatly appreciated, but especially let me know if you want to see more of this cross-over idea.


End file.
